ACK! I do mean Classical Conversations! sheesh. I wasn't thinking when I posted:) Thanks for the input. I have searched on the boards and there are so many who like (and LOVE) it that it has been hard finding much on the negative side. There is some. The cost seems like it is a huge block for some (including me as I would have four dk's to enroll). I have been homeschooling a LONG time and it seems like such a hugh change in what we "do". However, I sometimes think it would be nice for a little accountability for my middle boys. I think it would help them a great deal. I've also considered online courses for some accountability . . . I go to a Classical Conversations info night this week. I'll see . . .

I wouldn't assign this to my boys--I would get much rolling of the eyes! Way to much drama--they also would not really "get" Jo's dilema either. IMHO Little Men would be a much nicer choice as someone above said.

TIME managment! It is so easy to waste time if you don't HAVE to be somewhere. I'm still working on this one myself ;)

I would like to hear from some of you who either used Classical Connections and didn't like it or from those who decided against using it. What were your reasons for disliking it? I don't mean to sound like I'm encouraging a bashing! I don't want that-- I'm trying to decide if it would be a good fit for our family and it is hard to find much negative about it--and I've been looking! Does that mean you all love it? :D It is hard to decide when you only hear from those who love it. Any thoughtful "negatives" would be appreciated. Why didn't it work for you? Why did you decide not to use it? THANKS!

Hi, This is exactly what we did last year. I had originally planned to have my son do Zeta, THEN head into Teaching Textbooks. However, he really wanted to do math on the computer. It just seemed like it would be a good fit for him. He took the placement test and tested into the 7th grade. You are right, some of the subjects were not covered in Epsilon, but Teaching Textbooks really covered the subjects thouroughly. Yes, my son did have some trouble (mainly because he is not patient and hurried) but by slowing him down and helping go over some of the spots he did just fine. TT is really NOT an advanced, hurry, hurry kind of math program. Just a great, steady program. This summer I plan to have ds go over some Key To books on percents and decimals just to help lock in the concepts. He really loves TT and I plan on using it with him again next year. Hope this helps!

I'm a tweaker. I love to buy something out there and completely hack it up. I used to think it was because I lacked the confidence to build something on my own, now I just accept it as what it is . . .FUN!

I plan for 36 weeks here, but then get out the science kits, art supplies and all those other things that are hard to get to the rest of the school year.

I make a custard style ice cream and I have had my eggs NOT mix in before. bleck. I went and read my recipe before I made it today . .. The recipe has me heating the milk and sugar and in a SEPARATE bowl, whisk the eggs WELL. When the milk mixture is simmering (this recipe also calls for a little flour as a thickener) and gets thick, slowly add about one cup of this to the whisked eggs. Stir in quickly to prevent the eggs from cooking. After the cup of milk and eggs were well mixed, I added another cup for good measure THEN added this to the main cooking pot. Mix well. The ice cream was delicious and NO cooked egg pieces. Take it from me, eating chunks of frozen egg pieces is an experience I'll skip.

I also like Home Science Tools. I don't know if it is the cheapest, but they have a list of what the kit contains and you can buy separate items or buy the whole thing. Occasionally they will offer 10% discount when you get their email newsletter, but I don't think it was this time of year.

You walk 5-7 miles a day???? And sit-ups?? Gee, no wonder I can't get any weight off as I'm only walking two stinking miles. What a trooper! I guess I'm going to step up my action plan . . . ugh. Congrats to you!

Something that kept my sanity when my children were all young: QUIET time. It will take time to train them and that may not be fun:) Work around the naptimes of the younger children. This was a daily lifesaver for me. Even if I only got 30 minutes because the baby didn't go to sleep until later, it was nice. You can train your children to LEAVE you ALONE (!) in your room every day. My kids know if my door is shut, Mom needs time alone:) Another suggestion would be to schedule a time each week that is YOUR time. Make it the same time each week. This way you can have it to look forward to as well as make the separation time easier for your dc. So, perhaps every Tuesday evening you have from 6:00 until 8:00. EVERY week. Hire a sitter, get your mom to come over . . . Older children can help with the younger ones for a bit. Even just a daily 30 block of time where the little ones are watched over and you are shut away somewhere could help. Remember, whatever you decide to do, do it CONSISTENTLY. Even though my dc are not spaced as closely as yours, I know exactly what you mean. I sometimes just need some alone time.

Although I haven't sold anything on this board since the new rule about having 50 posts (though I sold things before this rule . . . maybe I'll eventually get 50 posts and start to sell again!), I do sell on other websites as well as Ebay. It is so much easier for you and the buyer to price it with the shipping costs built in. i.e. $20ppd Most send their books via "Media Mail" which has much cheaper rates. It does take longer, but it is much cheaper. Sometime someone wants it faster than Media Mail (which can be slow) and I will send it out another way, but they pay for the difference in price. I used to not do this, but for less than a dollar, I usually buy a confirmation number. This tells you when and if the package made it to its destination. If it is valuable, add insurance. Really, it is up to you how you want your payment. I've never gotton burnt over a bad check, but I've heard of some people who have, so that is the reason some only want Money Orders. You could accept personal checks, but allow time for it to clear before you send out the item. Just make sure the buyer knows that in advance. Honestly, the easiest way to receive a payment is to accept Paypal. It is secure and it is FAST. You have your money now, rather than later. Also, the buyer can have their item quicker as they are not waiting for the mail both sending and receiving. There is really no one "right" way to sell. You find something that you are comfortable with. Have fun selling!

If this helps me get ONE more thing done every day it will be worth it!!!!! Thanks for passing this along:)

I used SOTW 1, Kingfisher and MOH History with my boys this past year. I will say that my 8th grade ds DID need more. I kept books on the shelf, both fiction and non-fiction for him to read. These could be books you already own or library books. Some were easier books, but I also required him to read some difficult books as well. (The Odyssey, Gilgamesh etc) Also, since he is more in the logic stage, I felt he needed more "why" rather than the "what". So for us, that meant a lot of discussion. "Why did Alexander want to conquer? Why couldn't he just stay home and have a nice life? " "Why did Julius Caesar cross the Rubicon? And why did the people let him get away with it? "Why did our country's forefathers use so many of the political structures of Greece and Rome?" etc. These discussions were pretty informal. I wish you well!

I've often thought it would be great for someone to start up a WTM site . . . "to purchase WTM year 2, click here" BUT Rosie (above poster) is right . . . it would take out all the fun . . . and we STILL would be tweaking it anyway!!